Oregon coach Mike Bellotti says his players did a good job throughout preseason camp of not talking about this week's opponent because last week's opener was on the horizon.

With Houston dispatched 48-27 Saturday, the team the Ducks didn't want to discuss can no longer be ignored. That team is suddenly unranked Michigan, and the circumstances the Wolverines find themselves in have left even Oregon players scratching their heads.

"I was shocked," Ducks quarterback Dennis Dixon says of his reaction after he heard Michigan had been upset by Division I-AA Appalachian State. "They're going to be breathing fire (Saturday)."

"Unfortunately," Bellotti says, "Appalachian State put Michigan on high alert. We're going to get an embattled team.

"It doesn't change our preparation, but they're certainly not going to overlook us. Our approach is, this is presumed to be a top-25 team, this is the big house (Michigan Stadium) and they have bona fide Heisman Trophy candidates."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Houston | Michigan | Division I | Oregon | Ducks | Wolverines | Ann Arbor | Dennis Dixon | Mike Bellotti

The Ducks have good players, too, and they're also out to prove something.

The Ducks were 7-2 late last season, then finished with four consecutive losses, including a forgettable 38-8 trouncing by Brigham Young in the Las Vegas Bowl.

"Everyone just lost confidence," says Dixon of the slide. "There were a whole lot of egos and finger-pointing. Now we have a lot of seniors on both sides of the ball, and we wanted to harp on team unity day after day. We just have to face adversity better."

New offensive coordinator Chip Kelly arrived from New Hampshire with his version of the spread offense, and Bellotti said he wanted a tougher, better-conditioned team that could run effectively.

The Ducks are off to a good start in that department, running for 339 yards against Houston, with Dixon (141), Jeremiah Johnson (70) and Jonathan Stewart (67) doing most of the damage.

The trio has the attention of Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr, especially Dixon, who presents the same kind of dual-threat quarterback problems Michigan faced last week when Appalachian State's Armanti Edwards passed for 227 yards and ran for 62. Dixon had an 80-yard touchdown run against Houston.

"Dixon is a great athlete, and they're using him as a ballcarrier," Carr says. "What he did Saturday was very impressive.

"A running quarterback puts a lot more pressure on a defense. We expect they'll run the option more than Appalachian State, and to have two guys with the ability of Jonathan Stewart and Johnson is a great advantage."

Jonathan Stewart, who led the Pacific-10 in kick returns the past two years and the nation in 2005, says the combination of himself at 230 pounds and Johnson at 205 brings a unique mix to the running attack.

"We both have similar attitudes about running the ball, but different styles," Jonathan Stewart says. "J.J. is pretty shifty, and I'm explosive and a good downhill runner."

Dixon says the Ducks had some first-game jitters in the opener, with some blockers missing their protection assignments and receivers running the wrong routes. "I just want to seize the moment and take what's given to me," he says. "But I have to know when to run and when to throw. … As an offense, we've got some work to do."

So apparently, does Oregon's rushing defense. Anthony Alridge had 205 of Houston's 315 rushing yards last week, and a similar kind of day for UM star Mike Hart would figure to limit Oregon's chances for success.

"If Michigan runs the ball effectively and controls the clock, we'll have fewer opportunities," Bellotti says. "Our challenge increases this week, and we didn't do as good a job as we could have (against Houston). … We expect their very best game. I hope we give them our very best game."

Carr, meanwhile, must hope his wounded and embarrassed team responds positively.

"The test of any team is how they handle disappointment," he says. "The mood is, we're dedicated to being a better football team this week."